


Responsibility

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Sanctuary Singles [54]
Category: The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M, Sanctuary, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:21:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29210283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: Elijah wonders what might have happened if he stayed with Pedar.
Relationships: Sean Astin/Elijah Wood
Series: Sanctuary Singles [54]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/707595
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Responsibility

**Author's Note:**

  * For [frolijahfan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frolijahfan/gifts).



> Written as a birthday gift for a friend.

[ ](https://imgur.com/cADGnze)

“I hate to think about it,” Elijah mused, “but if I hadn’t left Pedar when I did; if I’d stayed, do you think he might have killed me?” The thought produced a visible shudder in him.

“I don’t think he’d have done on it on purpose,” Sean replied, “but if his temper was as unpredictable as you’ve described it, it’s certainly possible it could have happened.”

“The night of the fancy dinner party,” Elijah went on, “the first time he hit me, I heard some of his friends say I wasn’t the first, that he’d had other young lovers before me. I have to wonder, what happened to them? Could he have killed them?”

Seeing how upset the subject was making Elijah, Sean went to him, putting his hands on the younger man’s shoulders, feeling his trembling. “There’s no use speculating, Elijah. You can’t change the past, and you’ll only make yourself sick worrying about it.”

“What about the future?” Elijah asked.

“I don’t understand.”

Elijah looked stricken. “What if he’s found someone new to take my place?”

“Elijah—“

“No, Sean, what if because I left, some other young guy is living there with him, taking the beatings instead of me, someone who isn’t able to get away from him?”

“Elijah, what Pedar did to you wasn’t your fault, and you can’t be blamed for escaping when you had the chance. If another young man fell for his line, that isn’t your fault either, and you can’t be expected to sacrifice yourself to save someone else. I know you feel badly and that’s because you’re sensitive and you care about others, but you can’t be responsible for Pedar’s action before you knew him, and certainly not what he does now that you’re gone.”

“I just feel so bad.”

“Of course you do.”

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I should have realized Pedar wouldn’t stay alone.”

“That’s Pedar’s choice, just as it’s the choice of anyone he takes into his bed. You just need to hope whoever it is has the courage you did to get out before it’s too late.”

“Not only gets out,” Elijah agreed, putting his arms around Sean, “but also has the good fortune to find someone like you.”


End file.
